Hi Robert;
 
I've been on the phone this morning, starting with Gov. Englers' ofc.  &
was told by Tara that the gov. has no authority to intervene.  then I went
to Atty. Gen.. [log in to unmask] & Cheryl referred me to public health, 373-3488
where a lady who refused to give her name said that "it's in the courts" and
hung up on me!
 
I then called Cheryl back, & she ref'd me to the FOIA ofc.@373-4798 where
Nately, after conferring with the para legal said the State vet.  Harry
Chaddock @373-1077 might help.  I got thru to him, & though he was plesent
stated that his boss ordered him to "stay out of it" (my words, shorter than
his explanation).
 
I then got from Harry the director's# of Public health, James Haverman, &
though he was out, his sec.  Christine said tat Geralyn Lasker, the
communications director would be the person to talk to.  She tried her #
twice, and left an "urgent" callback, as you folks are on Eastern time, &
it's 2:05pm at this point.
 
Harry the head vet did give information that the negotiations when the law
was drafted to legalize ferrets included the kill & test policy, & all
parties signed off on it as being acceptable.  I mentioned that Kodo was in
custody some 30 days & normally a ferret would be dead in 9 days if he had
rabies.  His information was that this was not a "scientifically proved"
point, hence the present position of public health thinking they don't have
"sufficient scientific evidence" to pass off the present case without the
"test".
 
I further presented the information of the old man not having been "bitten"
but only snagging his finger, and he felt secure enough at this point of not
wanting the rabies shots.  I further stated the irony of you being asked by
animal control to bring a ferret to the show for education, then animal
control turns around wanting to kill your ferret.  Harry stated that it
would be the most proper thing to have the legislature change or amend the
current law to include a quarantine period, though it would be too late for
that to intervene on Kodo's behalf.
 
Christine (public health) asked if I were a vet, and I explained though I
was not, that my experience with My Timmy being the first ferret with
"terminal lymphoma" fully cured & surviving over 2.5 years now has brought
me to the point of working with people all over the world for ferret health.
It also gave me great empathy having worked with many people who's ferret
are brought back from deaths' door due to a "disease process" seeing a
perfectly healthy ferret have it's life in danger thru no fault of it's own
as something worthy of great concern.  I also presented the Phoenix policy
of quarantine in alleged bite cases as being the "accepted" way things are
handled down here.
 
My prayers are with you and Kodo at this tense time.
 
Sincerely
 
                 Gary & the gang of fur ->
 
        Thru joining, their grief has been transmuted to joy,
        loneliness to celebration...
 
        ..Data, in "The Tin Man" episode, STNG.
 
  Info on Timmy's healing & holistic healing
http://www.concentric.net/~Gferret/
[Posted in FML issue 1962]